54Lights

WHAT TO EXPECT...WHEN YOU PUSH PLAY In this episode of 54Lights modern-day Pan-Africanist Shelton Mpala speaks about his passion and the unique time we live in. The two unpack an African revival, of sorts, that is sweeping through the globe. Shelton was born and raised in Zimbabwe and describes himself as ‘just an African child’ who was lucky enough to be raised by three women, who taught him what...

What to expect when you press PLAY Farai Madzima is a man of and for the people. He is a leader, teacher and speaker who's passionate about managing people humanely and authentically, regardless of who they are. He celebrates diversity in all areas of life, including in business. He speaks about how we (as managers, leaders and people) must focus on individuals instead of purely on results. Farai'...

WHAT TO EXPECT...WHEN YOU PUSH PLAY Chawanangwa Mphande, affectionately known as Chawa, joined us in studio to talk about our last episode with Qabaniso Malewezi (Q). As is the case for these special broadcasts of 54"Bites", Kondwani and hiss guest reflect on episodes past and project on the episodes yet to come. Chawa gave her perspective on how artists make the leap from passion to profession an...

WHAT TO EXPECT...WHEN YOU PUSH PLAY In the official kick-off to the fourth season, the continental journey, that lives through this project, takes flight in the warm heart of Africa. Episode 1.54 ( When Culture Comes Calling with Qabaniso Malewezi ) brings listeners to Malawi, the native homeland of host Kondwani Mwase, and the starting line for this very special and powerful season. In this episo...

WHAT TO EXPEXT...WHEN YOU PUSH PLAY 54Lights is on a bold mission to broadcast inspiring stories from Africa to the world. Creatively designed, passionately produced and curated for (and from) the community, the show is devoted to showcasing the continent...its people and its allies. Put another way, 54Lights is committed to illuminating the African experience...one story (beat) at a time.  F...

WHAT TO EXPECT...WHEN YOU PUSH PLAY Ray Fankhauser, a Canadian with over 20 years of diplomatic service, joined host Kondwani Mwase to talk about his travels, trials and triumphs. From his early days in the corps in China to taking center stages in Pakistan to his eventual journey home, Ray opens up and shares what he's learned most in the key years. A conversation between friends who've found foo...

WHAT TO EXPECT...WHEN YOU PUSH PLAY Kondwani has had a few difficult weeks dealing with the devastation of Cyclone Freddy and its horrific impact on his birthplace of Malawi and other Southern Countries of Africa. In this episode, he talks about the distinct internal dilemma he is facing, ‘what do we do now?’ and contemplates how we can keep the focus and attention on the destruction Cyclone Fredd...

WHAT TO EXPECT...WHEN YOU PUSH PLAY Host Kondwani Mwase is joined by returning guest Chawa Mphande in an important episode reflecting on Cyclone Freddy. The two unpack and explore some tough questions about natural disasters, trauma and crisis management. The endpoint is a raw, yet hopeful, glimpse into the lives of some underprivileged people. During the piece, Chawa and Kondwani talk about one o...

WHAT TO EXPECT...WHEN YOU PUSH PLAY Jimmy Baptiste is an artist based in Ottawa, Canada. He is also a father, educator, graphic artist and culture builder. Jimmy extends his art into the community in a profound and colourful way, working with students to create beautiful murals that discuss themes of race, youth and empowerment. In this episode, Jimmy takes us through his process, his triumphs and...

WHAT TO EXPECT...WHEN YOU PUSH PLAY Prolific podcaster, Dr. Patience Adamu is the architect of several incredibly compelling shows - The Drip, BBW (Big, Beautiful and Winning), Hyphenated among them. The PhD graduate and an all-round super-creator joins your host, Kondwani Mwase, to talk about the work of podcasting, questions of culture and the complexities of identity. While the laughs roll in,...

WHAT TO EXPECT...WHEN YOU PUSH PLAY Ricardo McRae returns to the 54Lights studios. Over the course of the conversation, Ricardo gives host Kondwani an update on his life post-pandemic including the life-affirming accident he was in. The two also delve deep into business, a "winning" mindset and wealth as well as the influence our lifestyles have on future generations. Underlying it all was a recog...

Acclaimed actor, Karen Leblanc joins us in studio to talk about her ever-elevating career and path. As an independent and emerging artist, she rose to more popular fame after instrumental performances in Rent and impersonating the indomitable Tina Turner. Though her path has been laden with successes, many people were introduced to her through her performance on OWN’s Kings of Napa… a series backe...

Andrea McKenzie is a fearless entrepreneur who’s building an art empire…one piece at a time. The fierce visual artist has brought her Caribbean culture to the fore with her unique signature and style. Andrea creates unique pieces using glass, feathers and other materials to blend them and weaves them into “kaleidoscopic pieces”. She uniquely infused glass, feathers, acrylic and other materials on...

On this instalment of 54Bites...we get talk about getting giddy about guests. As an interviewer, I sat in the hot seat and stepped into some friendly family fire to talk about what impact my love of my guests has on the show.  For the honest fireside chat, I sat down with my sister, Siphiwe Mwase, who's also the intro voice on this show. FIND AND FOLLOW 54LIGHTS Instagram – https://www.instag...

WHAT TO EXPECT...WHEN YOU PUSH PLAY In this episode, host Kondwani Mwase is joined by Rwandan urban music icon, Cassa. Cassa emerged from the music scene via private radio station Contact FM and has gone on to tour alongside the likes of Lupe Fiasco and Delasoul. He was also chosen specially to perform a tribute to Music Producer Quincy Jones! Among other things, Cassa opened up about his musical...

Language and meaning dissected, this week's bite-sized conversation is a crude attempt to explore a "universal" lingua franca for the continent. Complex, controversial and even confusing are some terms that come to mind when we wade into the fray.  You'll hear from our guest Dr. Josephine Dzahene-Quarshie , professor of linguistics in Ghana, who's devoted to this concept and construct. An int...

Our guest, Jana Rae Yerxa, is one of our season's most inspirational guests. She's an activist, writer, poet, teacher and community leader. She not only embodies the spirit of the work we do but stands as a key model and shining light to learn from.  From her insights on being a selfless, or selfish, activist to her guidance on how to protect oneself from the weight of deep work on racial jus...

Our bite-sized conversations continue with superfan Natasha Soobramanie as our guest in studio. Taped on location, we spent some quick time reflecting on the work and import of the work of Calvert Jones. Our show focused on one central and perhaps contentious question - which work of art Calvert needs to tackle next??????? CONTEXT IS EVERYTHING If you haven't already, listen to this episode of 54L...

Artist Calvert Jones is best known for his stunningly bright and provocative works of art. This past year, I sat down with Calvert to talk about his work, its deep meaning and the ways in which the work blows beyond the canvas. Calvert, a hyper realist painter, sort to make a profound impact when he returned to his native home of St. Vincent. The motivation moved him to channel his culture’s parad...

Our debut of 54Bites - our reflections on things said and unsaid from our previous episode. Today, we talk trailers...what's in, what's out and what there's to regret.  In case you were wondering...we see the typo:-)  CO-CONSPIRATOR COORDINATES Patinece Adamu is an inspirational and remarkable broadcaster. She's an EP on several works including; The Drip podcast https://open.spotify.com/...

The opening curtain rises again on 54Lights podcast.  This season, one unlike we've ever had, will unfold in a slow and stead burn. We will light up Africa by meeting (at least) 54 guests (daughters, sons and stars) with roots in (at least) 54 countries so that they can give us (at least) 54 heartfelt stories from the great continent.   We're telling these under told stories from Af...

We close Season III of 54Lights podcast with a short recap of the power of the season and an invitation to stay tuned for the next, and final, Season IV. 

The next episode is our final guest-led conversation for Season III. It features the formidable poet, author and activist Rheima Robinson. We were privileged to have Rheima join us in our virtual studios and walk us through her work, approach and motivation.  Rheima walked us through her early forays into writing - drawing inspiration and guidance from her mother and grandmother. As women and newc...

As we near the end of Season IV of 54Lights , we sat down with one of the best and brightest Creative Directors in North America. Matt Rennick, a friend and fantastic ally of the African community, joined us in our virtual studios to talk about his philanthropic campaign to raise money for three Nigerian organizations. Compelled to act during the EndSARS unrest in Nigeria, Matt channeled his love...

The Left Turn (Season3. Episode21..) is one of the most important in our season. It follows the work of guest musical composer for this show, Roland Best, while he takes us on a journey through his business venture. One that centers around a lifelong love of music. Through that, he’s built E-Rol Beats – a music downloading service that features original music that he’s composed and refined. His ta...